
Testimonials from EFT training participants
I have had the opportunity to participate in Emotion Focused Therapy trainings with both Dr. Les Greenberg and Dr. Robert Elliott and feel deep gratitude for their authenticity, generosity, humility, and knowledge. We as practitioners of Emotion-Focused Therapy have the unique opportunity to stand on the shoulders of these giants and their wonderful colleagues.
Emotion-Focused Therapy, working with couples and individuals, has given me an informed pathway to clients’ underlying pain and their unmet needs and has equipped me with interventions that support the client’s innate ability to find resolution.
It is encouraging and fulfilling to witness my clients’ transformations in the room and to see the relief they experience in resolving their emotional pain. What is equally important and fulfilling for me is how it has changed my life personally and opened me up to processing my own unresolved issues.
Janice Maurer, LMFT
Northern California
December 2018
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In my 15 years of clinical practice, Emotion Focused Therapy is the best model I have found that reduces suffering and truly helps clients change. When I teach it to students and they use it during their clinical training, they are always amazed at how much relief it brings clients. By moving from talking about emotions to experiencing emotions, EFT can help heal the wounds of developmental trauma, relationship distress, depression, and anxiety. I cannot recommend this model enough – working with it brings me a great deal of personal satisfaction and joy, and it continually reminds me of why I wanted to be a therapist in the first place.
Brennan Peterson, Ph.D.
Professor, Chapman University
Marriage and Family Therapy & Psychology
October 2018
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Working within the Emotion Focused Therapy model has brought immense healing for my clients. As a therapist who sees both individuals and couples, I have the tools to be able to follow their pain, bring out their resilience and help them to face and put aside their emotional blocks or patterns. The workshops and on going consultation I receive keep me informed and enlightened as to how to practice this model with confidence. Les Greenberg, PhD has been instrumental in helping me be a better practitioner. I've combined the skills I've honed from his teachings as well as those from Sue Johnson's Emotionally Focused model as well. Working within these models has brought me professional joy. And in a big way, it's why my calendar is always full of clients. It works!
Michele Hahn, JD, MFT
Santa Monica Couples Therapist
October 2018
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My story with EFT started from when I was a bachelor’s student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Tehran/Iran. I was often overwhelmed by the thought of helping a diverse range of people and find solutions for all the problems in the world.
However, everything changed for me when I read a quote about EFT: “We don’t need to focus on the content; we focus on the process. The process for most problems in individuals and couples is similar.” This quote changed the way I think about therapy. When I attended two EFT trainings in California, I found out that EFT is not just an approach to therapy, it’s a way of thinking about people. To not judge people because of their problems. However, focus on people’s emotions. Emotions are global. They are like energy – they won’t disappear, but they could change from one kind to another. In this way, you can help all kinds of people around the world based on the knowledge of emotions. With empathy, a therapist is well-equipped to address the needs of a diverse range of people around the world. I not only recommend EFT to my colleagues, but to all of my friends and family to help improve their lives by “living with your emotions.”
Hamed Fatahian-Tehran
PAU Grad student,
January 2019
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The trainings provided by Dr. Leslie Greenberg and Dr. Robert Elliott have been outstanding and truly inspiring professionally. I feel very grateful and privileged to have had the opportunity to witness their knowledge and empathy. With a solid theoretical framework and research base, Emotion Focused Therapy provides a roadmap to working with emotions and achieving change. The connection between therapist and client based on following and guiding creates a strong bond to dive deeply into people’s most intimate concerns. Clients have commented that the times we use an EFT approach have been the most helpful for them. I have also experienced that change occurs faster and at a deeper level than with other approaches. I particularly appreciate that it is experiential, process based, and that it communicates to clients that they have the resources to change, with the help of their therapists.
Ana Ribas, PhD
Clinical Psychologist in Los Angeles
October 2019
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Overall ABSOLUTELY AMAZING TRAINING that I would not hesitate to recommend to colleagues.
Nader Albadawi, PsyD
Psych Assistant in Irvin
October 2020
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A very informative and emotionally rich workshop!
Julia Galaudet, PsyD, LCSW
October 2020
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I was very impressed and am now excited to dive into more EFT learning and implementation in my own practice.
Jennifer Henshaw, LMFT
October 2020
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This training was incredibly helpful for understanding the EFT method. I will certainly be attending future trainings to deepen my understanding.
Craig Cardamone, LMFT
October 2020
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EFT strikes me as the most structured and pragmatic framework for applying an experiential humanistic approach to therapy. EFT's use of schemes, markers, and tasks helps guide clinicians more directly into the client's experience. I knew almost nothing about EFT before this training and now I just want to steep myself in it.
Geoffrey Graham, ASW
October 2020
Certification Process Recognized by ISEFT
There are 5 levels of recognition and also the possibility of certification.
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Level A: Completion of Basic EFT Training
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Level B: Completion of EFT Supervised Practice
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Level C: Certified EFT Therapist
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Level D: Supervisor
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Level E: Trainer
For Description and details of each level please check the EFT Certification and resources page
Counseling for Depression by
Dr. Robert Elliott
A short story about emotions
A short story about
self-criticism
Unfinished business and unresolved grief

We need to live in mindful harmony
with our feelings, not attempt to
control them.
___ Les Greenberg ___
Therapists Who Took Trainings at SoCal Institute of EFT
Ladan H. Safvati, LMFT, ATR
Level one, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Level two, 2013, 2018, 2021
Yamonte Cooper, Ed.D., LPCC
Level one, 2018
Level two, 2018
Brannan Peterson, PhD, LMFT
Level one, 2017
Level two, 2018
Jessica Borelli, PhD
Level one, 2017
Level two, 2018
Janice Maurer, LMFT
Level one, 2018, 2019
Level two, 2018
Michael Pariser, PsyD
Level one, 2018
Level two, 2018
Lital Shavarts, PsyD
Level one, 2017
Level two, 2018
David Kyle Bond, PhD
Level one, 2017
Level two, 2018
Patricia Taylor, LMFT
Level one, 2017
Level two, 2018
Christopher Walling, PsyD
Level one, 2018
Level two, 2018
David Laramie, PhD
Level one, 2018
Level two, 2018
Tina Dahlenburg, LMFT
Level one, 2018
Level two, 2018
Stephani Kirschner, LMFT
Level one, 2018
Level two, 2018
Randy Gottlieb, LMFT
Level one, 2018
Level two, 2018
Jonathan Mueller, PhD
Level one, 2018
Level two, 2018
Heidi Mattila, PhD
Level one, 2018
Level two, 2018
Nasrin Barkhordari, PsyD, LMFT
Level one, 2018
Level two, 2018
Alexandra Block, MA
Level one, 2018
Level two, 2018
Kathryn Purdy, LMFT
Level one, 2018
Level two, 2018
Beth Bernholtz, PhD, PsyD
Level one, 2018
Level two, 2018
Deryl Goldenberg, PhD
Level one, 2017
Level two, 2018
Michelle Hann, LMFT
Level one, 2017
Level two, 2018
Gerin Gaskin, MA
Level one, 2018
Level two, 2018
Sherise Prince, PsyD
Level one, 2017
Level two, 2018
Ann Gilbert, LMFT, ATBC
Level one, 2017, 2019
Level two, 2021
Terry Akhtarzad, LMFT
Level one, 2018
Level two, 2021
Natalie Pujo, PsyD
Level one, 2019
Level two, 2021
Hamed Fatahian, MA
Level one, 2018, 2019, 2020
Level two, 2021
Marilyn Talmage, LMFT
Level one, 2019
Level two, 2021
Siyu Peng, LMHC
Level one, 2019
Level two, 2021
Erjing Cui, LMHC
Level one, 2019
Level two, 2021
Ana Ribas, PhD
Level one, 2019
Level two, 2021
Adrienne Kijak, LCSW, ATR
Level one, 2019
Level two, 2021
Sarah Johnson, PhD
Level one, 2019
Level two, 2021
Sandy Sayan-Pedram, LMFT
Level one, 2019
Level two, 2021
Hila Madani, PsyD
Level one, 2019
Level two, 2021
Ross Phillips, LMFT
Level one, 2019
Level two, 2021
Jennifer Cha, MFT
Level one, 2019
Level two, 2021
Salma Shah, MFT
Level one, 2019
Level two, 2021
Maxine de Luna, MFT
Level one, 2019
Level two, 2021
Jennifer Henshaw, LMFT
Level one, 2020
Level two, 2021
Mary Dousette, PhD
Level one, 2020
Level two, 2021
Xiaomio Li, PhD
Level one, 2020
Level two, 2021
Trevor Olsen, PhD
Level one, 2020
Level two, 2021
Tracy Hefter, PhD
Level one, 2020
Level two, 2021
Julia Galaudet, PsyD., LCSW
Level one, 2020
Level two, 2021
Itzuri Hurtado, LMFT
Level one, 2020
Level two, 2021
Chiehyu Liao, MA
Level one, 2020
Level two, 2021
Zeinab Bagheri, MA
Level one, 2020
Level two, 2021
Parichehr MahdiAbadi, MD
Level one, 2020
Level two, 2021
Fatemeh Fazelisani, PhD
Level one, 2020
Level two, 2021
Samaneh Zaryabi Toosi, MS
Level one, 2020
Level two, 2021
Hamidreza Maghsoodi, PhD
Level one, 2020
Level two, 2021
Elizabeth Seidita, ASW
Level one, 2020
Level two, 2021
Craig Cardamone, LMFT
Level one, 2020
Level two, 2021
Peter Van Burken, MS
Level one, 2020
Level two, 2021
Joshua Ventura, PhD
Level two, 2021
Michelle Kelekota, MS
Level two, 2021
Shaniya Haghigat, MS
Level two, 2021
Babak Sadri, MS
Level two, 2021
Dominique Walterson, MS
Level two, 2021
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Paul Howard, PsyD
Level one, 2017
Jennifer Codega, LMFT
Level one, 2017
Kathy Barnum, LPC
Level one, 2017
Armineh Gorgian, LMFT
Level one, 2017
Abeer Othman, LMFT
Level one, 2017
Mark Frankle, LMFT
Level one, 2017
Debi Frankle, LMFT
Level one, 2017
Bruce Chambers, LMFT
Level one, 2017
Debbie Cohen, LMFT, ATR
Level one, 2017
Brittany Mustin, LMFT
Level one, 2017
Gina Cantrell, LMFT
Level one, 2017
Michelle Colarusso, LCSW
Level one, 2017
Jodie Spanos, LMFT
Level one, 2017
Adam Brockman, LPC
Level one, 2017
Shellie Gravitt, LMFT
Level one, 2017
Debby Krahe, PsyD
Level two, 2018
Darin Bergen, PsyD
Level two, 2018
Bart Rubin, PhD
Level two, 2018
Diana Menendez, PsyD
Level one, 2018
Hedieh Azadmehr, PhD
Level one, 2018
Ginger Schwartz, PsyD
Level one, 2018
Liron Gabay Samara, LMFT
Level one, 2018
Alani Van, LCSW
Level one, 2018
Joel Freedman, LMHC
Level one, 2018
Ruth Kleast, LCSW
Level one, 2018
Tania Dow, LMFT
Level one, 2018
Cecily Krumholz, PsyD
Level one, 2018
Cai Yitong, MA
Level one, 2019
Yang Yu, LMHC
Level one, 2019
Jilla Behnad, LMFT
Level one, 2019
Namhee Lim, MBA
Level one, 2019
Teresa Gamez, MA student
Level one, 2019
Veiss Zandieh, LMFT, LPCC
Level one, 2019
Yishan Xu, PhD
Level one, 2019
Stephanie Rosen, PsyD
Level one, 2019
Erin Van Voorhies, PsyD
Level one, 2019
Patricia Smiley, PhD
Level one, 2019
Ellis Franklin, LCSW
Level one, 2019
Allison Rudnick, LMFT
Level one, 2019
Ariana Penalba, LMFT
Level one, 2019
Laura Worthington, LMFT
Level one, 2019
Alexandra Anguiano, MFT
Level one, 2019
Nicolette Pyne, MFT
Level one, 2019
Anna Cancellieri, MFT
Level one, 2019
Pam Dyer, MFT
Level one, 2019
Gelisa Gonzaga, MFT
Level one, 2019
Kelly Royere, MFT
Level one, 2019
Millisa Morrow, MFT
Level one, 2019
David Eshleman, LMFT
Level one, 2019
Kyong Yi, LCSW
Level one, 2019
Liora Pourati, LMFT
Level one, 2019
Florence Ahlzadeh, LCSW
Level one, 2019
Angela Bothwell, MFT
Level one, 2019
Nicole Reilly, MFT
Level one, 2019
David Perlman, PsyD
Level one, 2019
Sarah Taylor, LMFT
Level one, 2019
Victoria Shirazi, PsyD
Level one, 2019
Mitra Zaeri,
Level one, 2019
Jenn Moudahi, MA
Level one, 2020
Mary Clark, LMFT
Level one, 2020
Olivia Einbund, MA, AMFT
Level one, 2020
Geoffrey Graham, MSW
Level one, 2020
Arpee Simonian, LMFT
Level one, 2020
Nader Albadawi, PsyD
Level one, 2020
Jessica Aguilar, LMFT
Level one, 2020
Michael Rollin, MD
Level one, 2020
Robert McDonnel, MA
Level one, 2020
Bruce Kirby, MSW
Level one, 2020
Katarina Blom, PsyD
Level one, 2020
Maura Amaral, LMFT
Level one, 2020